A FORMER university student has denied that he knew he had caused the death of an 18-months old infant in a horrific car smash in county Fermanagh almost three years ago.
Prosecution Counsel Liam McCollum told 25 year-old John Fahy, Grogagh, Grange, County Sligo that there was a “very simple” explanation for the accident that caused the death of baby Ryan Cox and caused serious injury to his mother Katriona Cox at around 3.50 pm on January 14 2013 near Belleek.
Mr McCollum said that the defendant came into a bend on the Boa Island Road, about five miles from Belleek County Fermanagh, and “crashed into the other car”.
The Counsel said Fahy, through inexperience or over-steering, caused the fatal crash.
“You know how this accident happened”.
“That’s not true”, said the defendant.
Former UUJ student, John Fahy, Grogagh Grange, County Sligo is denying a charge that he caused the death of Ryan Cox by driving a mechanically propelled vehicle without due care and attention at Boa Island Road on January 14 2013.
The 25-year-old is also denying a charge that he caused grievous bodily injury to Katriona Cox by driving a mechanically propelled vehicle without due care and attention at Boa Island Road on January 14 2013.
The collision between the defendant’s Renault Megane and Mrs Cox’s Peugeot 307 resulted in Fahy spending 15 days in hospital, Dungannon Crown Court was told.
18 months old infant Ryan Cox, who was strapped into his baby seat in the back of the car, died from his injuries around six hours after the fatal collision.
The child’s mother Katriona, who the court heard had no memory of the accident, suffered multiple fractures and lacerations.
In evidence before a six -man six- woman jury yesterday, John Fahy told the court he intended to go back to his studies “after this”.
He told the court he was not able to finish his architecture course as a result of the accident.
The defendant told the court the last thing he remembered of the accident was flashing his lights, his car spinning and ending up in hospital.
He said he was driving between 45 and 50 mph before braking as he came into a bend just before the fatal accident.
The defendant said he saw Katriona Cox’s car in his lane and he had nowhere to go, as there was an embankment to his left.
Counsel Mr McCollum said the embankment was merely a grass verge.
“Are you saying that crashing into another car was a better option than driving up onto that embankment”, asked Mr McCollum.
The defendant replied; “No”.
He admitted that he had only a split second to react and he “did not react quickly enough”.
Meanwhile, an earlier sitting heard eyewitness Sara Green tell the court how she came upon two vehicles that were stuck in the hedge at the scene of the accident, on January 14 2013.
The witness said she tried to keep Katriona Cox calm in the Peugeot car as the lady was trying to get out of the car.
She added that the door was damaged and Katriona Cox’s legs were trapped.
The witness said there was an infant in the back of the car.
And, when a nurse, who had been travelling behind the witness, checked, the infant Ryan Cox had a “faint pulse”.
The witness then went to the defendant John Fahy’s car and told him to stay calm as help was coming.
Another witness Heather Cassidy, under cross-examination from Defence Counsel Jim Gallagher, agreed that she saw blood coming from the mouth of John Fahy when she arrived at the scene of the crash.
Local Belleek GP Gareth Herdman was also at the scene, and in part of a statement read out in court, said he gave the child chest compressions in an effort to revive the infant.
The trial will hear closing speeches and the judge’s charge to the jury this morning (Wednesday).
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